Big Brother Closing In Further - UK Watch

I do like to remind my fellow UKers on this site about our own Big Brother... Sometimes it's easy to forget whats going on at home when we spend all
day discussing US policies and the Middle East issues unfolding.

I've always said, if the US are doing it, the UK are doing it.. The only issue we face, is that the UK are A LOT more slier in their activities,
things over here seem to slip through our radar without the majority even catching on, as was proved in the Anon Birmingham protest I took part in.
The protest was extremely successful in the simple fact, we had the public engaging with us saying "What? The police are being privatised?!?"

So anyway, here's me informing you:

National 'virtual ID card' scheme set for launch

The Government will announce details this month of a controversial national identity scheme which will allow people to use their mobile phones and
social media profiles as official identification documents for accessing public services.

People wishing to apply for services ranging from tax credits to fishing licences and passports will be asked to choose from a list of familiar
online log-ins, including those they already use on social media sites, banks, and large retailers such as supermarkets, to prove their
identity.

Once they have logged in correctly by computer or mobile phone, the site will send a message to the government agency authenticating that
user’s identity.

The Cabinet Office is understood to have held discussions with the Post Office, high street banks, mobile phone companies and technology giants
ranging from Facebook and Microsoft to Google, PayPal and BT.

Cabinet Ministers are dubious of it being labeled "Big Brother National ID card".. In fact, they think this is a solution to AVOIDING the ID card.

The system will be trialled when the Department of Work & Pensions starts the early roll out of the Universal Credit scheme, a radical overhaul of
the benefits system, in April.

The cabinet say: “prevent ‘login fatigue’ [from] having too many usernames and passwords”

Ohh purlease! I'm sure I'm old enough to manage my own login details, thank you very much - Nanny!

On another note, my Blackberry crashed epically yesterday, so everything had to be re-installed.. DID YOU KNOW, in order to get my phone functioning
again with basic internet and apps, I had to supply ALL RIGHTS to my location and personal details? I unchecked the ones I COULD, but most were
MANDATORY.

None of it makes any sense. It all sounds like a recipe for disaster and fraud et alone the rivalry issues involved. I'd expect this madness from the
former lot, but a coalition that prided themselves on being pro civil liberties once again seems to be obsessed with the same intrusive technologies.

Originally posted by woodwardjnr
None of it makes any sense. It all sounds like a recipe for disaster and fraud et alone the rivalry issues involved. I'd expect this madness from the
former lot, but a coalition that prided themselves on being pro civil liberties once again seems to be obsessed with the same intrusive technologies.

Based on data covering more than 2,000 secondary schools and academies, Big Brother Watch warns that there are more than 100,000 CCTV cameras in
secondary schools and academies across England, Wales and Scotland.

With some schools seeing a ratio of one camera for every five pupils, more than two hundred schools using CCTV in bathrooms and changing rooms and
more cameras inside school buildings as outside, the picture across the country will undoubtedly shock and surprise many.

To relate to this, I left school 6 years ago, and we had to be terribly inventive to grab a ciggy on the school grounds (don't lecture me! aha), the
only places not CCTVed were little dark corners between fences and bins.

One day we were all shoved into this little corner, and my mate had to take his trousers down to get to the pair underneath where the ciggies were
stashed, another friend thought it would be funny to "de-bag" him, so he was momentarily stood in his boxers

Anyway, interrupting our laughing fit, was a bright flash of light, we all looked up to the building opposite to see the Vice head of the school
taking pictures of us with his flash cam!! lol.

The same vice head that nearly attacked students on a number of occasions too, I might add! Of course his misdemeanors went unnoticed!

The school I attended was a public school that was very corrupt in altering stats for GCSE results, and the head, a vile woman, was VERY friendly with
the local MP's.

My little cousin informed me the other day that MORE CCTV was being added.

Awesome post, thanks highlighting this & putting it altogether so concisely. Real interesting stuff! If you have a group of people demonstrating in
the Midlands area I'd like to know how to join up and join in?

I'm going to go against the grain here and ask "would a virtual ID system really be that bad? Would it actually affect how we go about our day-to-day
lives?"

Q. Will the Government be able to use it to follow our movements online?
A. Authentication is done by trusted third parties and data will not be held centrally by the Government.

Even if they were, surely people who aren't doing anything wrong won't have anything to worry about?

On the other hand, I would have thought that one of the biggest benefits to having online ID would be to get into clubs or go abroad just using your
phone (essentially an online passport or driving license) but I couldn't find anything to suggest that this would be possible with the new
scheme...

Another BIGGIE, I almost forgot to add, from the reliable source posted above.

When Do We Get our DNA back?

Our report on the DNA Database highlighted how the database has continued to grow in recent years, and that despite the passage of the Protection
of Freedoms Act innocent people still have no timetable for when their DNA will be removed from the database.

Their still holding on to it with a vice grip!

Well, unfortunately having acquired my very first police caution a few month back, I'm exempt from this, as they can hold on to mine for as long as
they want.. HOWEVER, they had my DNA long before I was cautioned anyway, for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time, I was promptly
released, but YOU DONT GET YOUR DNA BACK.

Join the fight to reclaim your rights, please visit this link and right to your local MP.

Originally posted by Fazza!
I'm going to go against the grain here and ask "is this really that bad? Is it actually going to affect how we go about our day-to-day lives?"

Q. Will the Government be able to use it to follow our movements online?
A. Authentication is done by trusted third parties and data will not be held centrally by the Government.

Even if they were, surely people who aren't doing anything wrong won't have anything to worry about?

I would have thought that one of the biggest benefits to having online ID would be to get into clubs or go abroad just using your phone (essentially
an online passport or driving license) but I couldn't find anything to suggest that this would be possible with the new scheme...

edit on
13/10/2012 by Fazza! because: (no reason given)

Well, it would actually SPEED UP your daily tasks in your day to day life..

BUT it will come back and bite you in the butt

As long as your not planning on becoming a construction worker, a demonstrator, or as long as you never litter you'll be fine

... New terrorism
laws have granted the council supreme rights to plant cameras in your garden pots to see if you throw a fag nub or a wrapper in the street aha.

Sounds silly to say your social media sites like Facebook or twitter can be used to prove who you are. I don't have those.

I'm trying to apply for my British passport right now. I'm in Canada, and was surprised I have to go through Washington, D.C. for this. All
british citizens living in North America have to. UK in the USA I used the British embassy in Vancouver
before.

While setting this up, of course 911 has changed all the documents required. I have to get a long form birth certificate now. The one i currently have
is good for nothing now. Had to get other ID with all the new tech. My really old blue passport means I must do new application, it's not a renewal.
It's so they can do background checks it says, which ok fine I get it. I found it odd that I no longer need my document proving I'm a legal resident
of Canada. That was an absolute must before. I once got held for hours by US. customs because I didn't bring it to cross their border. They said it
has to be inside my passport, but now they say it doesn't. Either way, they will get you to renew all your ID to be high tech chipped. I didn't want
the new BCID card, but somebody stole it so I have no choice. I would advise updating any ID you need before more rules come along. I had happily
been hanging on to the old ID cards, even though it got mocked for being so old. I just hadn't updated my passport before 911. I guess I need a PR
card next, maybe this replaces my proof of residency, landed immigrant document.

Awesome post, thanks highlighting this & putting it altogether so concisely. Real interesting stuff! If you have a group of people demonstrating in
the Midlands area I'd like to know how to join up and join in?

I.D cards is something the last administration were so intent on brining in prior to the financial collapse, but then the costs spiralled and we ran
out of money and other things became a priority.

When the coalition came to power, this was something that was dismissed by them, but as you have pointed out it has stealthily wrangled its way in. I
guess that way awareness is limited, therefore resistance limited.

As reported on the front page of today’s Cambridge News, a report to Cambridge city council, to be discussed next week, highlights how the
Council signed off on an operation to install hidden CCTV cameras in the home of a resident, despite not having the legal authority to do so

This is why the police do have the power to install hidden cameras – and in this case it should have been the police investigating, not the
council. While the Protection of Freedoms Act will now require a council seeks a magistrate’s approval for Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act
operation, other public authorities will not.

The Communications Act 2003 makes it an offence to send a communication using a public electronic communications network if that communication is
“grossly offensive”. In this case the Chief Crown Prosecutor for Wales, Jim Brisbane, concluded that on full analysis of the context and
circumstances the message was not deemed to be so grossly offensive that criminal charges were sought.

Now, now, now... I know things such as Cyber Bullying have become the new norm, and we should be able to protect kids and such.. but these terms such
as “grossly offensive" can be interpreted in how many ways, and by how many people?

I read up on a guy who had to go to court for writing to his council saying "When are these Gypsies going to move on?" etc etc...

He got pulled for the word "Gypsie", not being funny, but thats what they are, and it's the name they have been known by for longer than I've been
born.

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